Ch Nisar slams victimisation of Jang Group

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Friday came hard on the federal government for victimisation of Jang Group and closure of Geo Super.

Talking to media persons here at his chamber in the Parliament House, Chaudhry Nisar said his party would raise the issue of victimisation of Jang Group and manhandling of senior journalists during the upcoming session of the National Assembly.

“The attitude of the government towards judiciary, independent media and political opponents is the worst chapter of the ongoing tenure of the government,” the opposition leader said.

He said what has been happening with Jang Group and Geo Super was highly shameful while there is no control on so-called independent official media. “Some officials acting as ghundas are manhandling senior journalists,” he said.

Chaudhry Nisar said the opposition would also register strong protest against increase in petroleum prices while issues of target killings in Balochistan and Karachi and price hike would also be taken up during the National Assembly proceedings.

The PML-N leader asked the rulers not to befool the masses through their wrong statements on issues like inflation and hike in petroleum products prices. “We will expose real face of the rulers and people will be apprised of facts,” he said.

He said the present situation is also a matter of concern for allies of the government who time and again claim of bringing revolution. “The responsibility of failure of the government lies equally on the ANP and MQM,” he maintained.

Chaudhry Nisar questioned the MQM leadership as to where their claims had gone when they were saying that they would not allow even one paisa increase in prices of petroleum products. “Each and every day of the present government is heavy on the masses who are suffering from the government’s anti-people policies,” he said.

Asim Yasin adds: Meanwhile, the Pakistan League-Quaid (PML-Q) condemned the government for imposing ban on the country’s first and most popular sports channel Geo Super and manhandling of senior journalist Tahir Khalil.

PML-Q general Secretary Mushahid Hussain Sayed in a press conference here at the PML House said the ban on Geo Super is serious issue. “Geo Super introduced healthy entertainment and encouraged the sports in country,” he said.

He said the government action is against the freedom of information and it can not be acceptable. “We will take up this issue in the upcoming session of the National Assembly as the ban on the Geo Super is tantamount to ban on freedom of information,” he added.

He also condemned the manhandling of senior journalist Tahir Khalil and demanded the action against the responsible official.

He said the devolution of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) as illegal and unconstitutional, adding that the party would oppose any such move to subjugate the national institutions.

“The government tried to conquer the judiciary to avoid accountability while they are also involved in gagging the independent media but we would foil all bids to conquer the national institutions,” the PML-Q leader.

Mushahid Hussain backed the presidential reference to the Supreme Court for re-visiting the trial of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and said it was a right step in right direction. “I in my speech in Senate in 2005 also asked for re-opening of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto case as it was a judicial murder. It was my firm belief when I was a journalist and even now when I am a politician,” he added. Mushahid said he viewed the hanging of Bhutto as a political murder and the court verdict was handed down on the then government’s pressure.

He said the presidential reference was a good omen and could help righting a historic wrong and it was the reason that the court verdict on Bhutto was never regarded as court precedence. “Nevertheless, I also feel that the murders of Benazir Bhutto, Murtaza Bhutto and Khalid Shahenshah should also be properly probed and their cases should also be reopened to set the record straight,” he added.

While rejecting the devolution of the HEC, he said that it is a politically motivated campaign against the commission which is reflective of the fact that the government is hell bent on victimising all those institutions which stand for upholding the rule of law.

Prior to this move, Mushahid said that the HEC’s crime was that it had upheld the Supreme Court decision on verification of the degrees of the parliamentarians.

Discussing the merits against the HEC’s devolution, the PML-Q leader said the HEC did not fall in the concurrent list and hence it could not be devolved to the provinces. He said his party would raise voice against any such decision and would even join protest demonstrations against any government bid to devolve the HEC.

“Though I myself have been a staunch supporter of the provincial autonomy, yet I would say that the HEC could not be devolved as this is the only institution ensuring a bright future of the nation as it ensures higher education provisions to the youth,” he said.

He said the brother of HEC chairman Dr Javaid Leghari was arrested to pressurise the commission not to expose the parliamentarians and when it did not work, the government is going to do away with the HEC.

Responding to a question, Mushahid said the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India was also being run by the federal government like the HEC.

To another question, he said his party was not providing oxygen to the government and rather it was government itself which was seeking its help to save the system. “Is it not our triumph that those who labelled the PML as ‘Qatil League’ are now seeking our help. The investigations have exonerated us and now everybody wants to seek help from us,” he said.

He said the PML-Q candidates are winning the by-polls from across the country and the popularity of the PML is rising by the each day passing. “On the other hand, those who tagged us as remnants of dictatorship today need us,” he said without quoting the PPP and the PML-N. He said the doors of his party were open as they believed in the politics of dialogue.

He said he would soon visit Sindh and would also go to remote areas of the province as Sindhi people wanted to join his party.
Source: The News
Date:4/9/2011